The Parable of the Mustard Seed, Lisa Henry

Wow.  Not an easy story by any means.  Healing from trauma is never easy and Caleb has it rougher than most.  The man who loves him suffers right along with him with a tenderness and compassion that is not only admirable, it's enviable.  To know exactly what you're protecting and then to eventually fall into the love that gripped your heart for years is so very sweet.  While it's more bitter than sweet for John and Caleb until the past is finally put to rest, it's a rough journey with a forever after full of hope and promise.

I enjoyed John's character quite a lot.  The entire story is told from his perspective with chapter introductions serving as the flashbacks that give appropriate insight and background.  Because we get so much from him we find out what kind of man he is and why we want him to take a chance with Caleb.  There were frustrating moments when it felt like we were just rereading a reworded scene because the sentiments were reiterated again and again and over again.  What I appreciated was his emotional honesty.  He knew he was struggling, he knew the dangers of becoming romantically involved with Caleb, he acknowledged his failings, he gave Caleb both freedom and support as often as he could, and he was under no illusions about Caleb's condition and the future of that condition.

Caleb was more pitiable because we see his plight through the lens of one who is there to pick Caleb up when he struggles.  We get to see the fallout of his past.  We see the consequences of others' cruelty.  What we don't see is his emotional turmoil or growth.  If all that is the roller coaster of his mental state were included in the story we'd have a much darker, angst-ridden story that would likely have been much longer as well.  I'm glad we were spared that because all of these men deserve more positivity than they've been dealt thus far.  All this just means that we don't really get to know Caleb through any other lens than John's.  His ability to see reality as well as Caleb's heart is good, just one-sided.

As for the villains that both bring John and Caleb together and show up at the end, they're totally evil.  I don't know that needed what happened to go down the way it did, but it did do quite a lot to vanquish the threat of Caleb's demons returning.  We spent a long, long time with the minutiae that made up the mental process that led John into Caleb's eager arms and while that wasn't all bad, it just felt a little drawn out and repetitive at times.

This wasn't an easy story.  I'm glad we didn't find any magical cures or solutions to Caleb's struggles because that's just not reality.  I like that there was a true grounding in all the complications and permanence and ups and downs of mental anguish.  I especially like that there was so much love and hope.  Life isn't easy, but both of these men found the partner that could love them through all that life throws their way.

*$4.99 on Amazon

The past never stays buried forever.

John Faimu is an Australian-Samoan police officer who deals with hurt kids every day. He loves what he does, but he’s tired of the grind of shift work, and of trying to find a balance between his job, his family, and the young man who straddles the increasingly blurry line between both.

Caleb Fletcher was the teenager John saved from a cult eight long years ago, and he’s now the young man John wants in ways that neither of them should risk.

Eight years after his rescue, Caleb is still struggling with PTSD and self-harm. John has always been his rock, but now Caleb wants more. Can he convince John to cross a line and love him the way they both crave? And when the monsters from Caleb’s past come back seeking to silence him for good, will John’s love be enough to save him?